My passive interest in gardening finally took root this spring and I have been actively communing with nature in my yard. The previous owner was apparently quite the gardener but she also stayed home all day. When we moved in three years ago, my sister and I had great ambitions but full-time jobs and other interests left little time to upkeep the yard. It was all we could do to make sure the lawn was mowed enough to not attract slithering and slinking animals. My poor sister tried desperately to spend some quality time in the "bush", however, the yard is quite large. Because there was so much planted previously, it all required pruning and constant nurturing in addition to weeding, etc. Way too much for a working gal to conquer! Well, that sister has since up and married and now lives in a sweet little apartment where she handles a manageable pot of flowers on the balcony. Now, I am stuck with the huge yard! Thankfully, my brother is now staying at the house and has become quite useful in mowing, tilling and treating the problem areas of the grass. That leaves me to concentrate on the planting and nurturing of the flowers, shrubs and other niceties which I thoroughly enjoy. I now have embarked on a mission – garden design! I've always had a love of interior design and decor so now I am going to take my ideas to the outside world. Check out my visual progress at www.squidoo.com/landscapeamateur and have a petalicious day!